Firearm.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

M. KUTOHER.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 33, 190

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

JZMLLQ PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

M. KUTGHBR;

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1904.

W Afforwy 4'SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

BY M PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. M. KUTGHER.

PIREA RM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1904. l

4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

Affomey No. 787,626. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

I M. KUTOHER.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1 INVENTOR V UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

Parana @rrrca.

FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,626, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed Januar 2S, 1904- Serial No, 190,306.

To all whom it new/ concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL KUTCHER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which. form a part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a broken view, in side elevation, of a firearm embodying my invention; Fig.

2, a broken view of the gun, partly in vertical longitudinal section and partly in elevation, shown in its closed position; Fig. 3, a broken view of the gun, partly in side elevation and .partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing the breech-block partly opened; Fig. 4, a similar view showing the breech. block and carrier in their open position; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the breech-block partly closed; Fig. 6, a transverse section on the line of the rear end of the barrel of the gun looking back; Fig. 7, a similar transverse section on a line through the pivot of the firing-pinlock; Fig. 8, a broken detached reversed side view of the rear end of the action-bar; Fig. 9, a broken view, in vertical longitudinal section, showing the firing-pin retracted and locked by a firingpin lock; Fig. 10, a horizontal section through the breech-block and illustrating the ejector car: ried thereby; Fig. 11, a broken view, in vertical longitudinal section, showing the firingpin unlocked by the depression of the end of the firing-pin look under the action of the carrier; Fig. 12, a detail perspective view of the pawl carried by the breech-block for engaging the action-bar; Fig. 13, a detail view of the [iring-pin.

My invention relates to an improvementin magazine-firearms of the type in which the action mechanism is actuated by means of a sliding handle which is reciprocated back and forth in a line parallel with the axial line of the gun-barrel, the object of my invention being to increase the efficiency and safety of these arms.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinational parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the stock of the gun; 2, the barrel; 3, the magazine; 4, the casing containing the firing and loading mechanism, and 5 the firing-hammer.

Bis the breech-block, adapted to move back and forth in the casing 4.

A is an action-bar having the sliding sleeve Asecured thereto, said sleeve being designed to be reciprocated back and forth upon the magazine 3 in a line parallel with the axial line of the gun-barrel 2. The action-bar travels in a groove A in the inner wall of the easing 4 and has a recess A in its upper edge, said recess having rearwardly-inclined edges A and A". The reciprocation of the actionbar is imparted to the hreech-block through the medium of a pawl B, which is pivoted to the breech-block on the side adjacent the ac tion-bar and adapted to' enter the recess A and be confined therein during the forward and backward movement of the action-bar. The pawl B has an outwardly-extending toe which is formed with the horizontal portion B and the vertical portion B, said vertical portion having its limiting ends B and B inclined rearwardly with respect to the gun to correspond with the inclined ends A and A of the recess A". The pawl B is adapted to lie normally on the upper surface of the action-bar until said bar is moved rearwardly and the recess A and the portion B" of the pawl B register. The portion B of the pawl B will then fall by gravity into the recess A which is of somewhat greater length than the portion 13*, and by reason of the corresponding inclined edges B and A of the pawl and action-bar, respectively, a firm engagement will be produced between the action-bar and the breech-block through the medium of the pawl, whereby the continued movements of the action-bar will produce the rearward excursion of the breech-block. During the forward movement of the action-bar the pawl B is retained in engagement with the action-bar by the upper wall of the groove A against the tendency of the coactinginclined surfaces 13 and A to throw the pawl upwardly. This treat.

engagement between action-bar and pawl is maintained until the forward excursion of the breech-block is complete, when the pawl will pass directly beneath the cut-away portion 6 of the casing and be forced by the coacting.

inclined edges B and A into said cut-away portion, thereby removing the operative engagement between the action-bar and breechblock.

The mechanism by which the cartridge is taken from the magazine 3 and thrown into position in front of the breech-block B, and thereby pushed into the breech of the barrel, consists of a vertically-oscillating carrier C, pivoted in the casing 4, near the rear therof and directly beneath the breech-block. This carrier is adapted to be intermittently raised and lowered by means of the stud A projecting from the action-bar and moving in the camgroove C in the adjacent side of the carrier as the action-bar and breech-block advance or re- The lower side of the casing 4: is cut away to permit the carrier C to lower into the position shown in Fig. 4 and to also permit the cartridges to be inserted into the magazine through the recess thus formed when the carrier is in the position shown in Fig. 2. The forward end of the groove extends sharply upward a short distance, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the initial rearward movement of the action-bar causes the carrier to move down a short distance until the stud on the action-bar is free to move rearwardly in the prolonged horizontal portion of the groove (1, such movement of the stud in said horizontal portion of the groove C being without appreciable efi'ect to further depress the carrier. The initial movement of the carrier just described serves to remove the main portion thereof from behind the enlarged head B of the breech-block and leaves said breechblock free to move on its rearward excursion. The rear end of the groove C curves sharply upward, so that just as the breech-block and action-bar approach the position shown in Fig. 4: the carrier will again be moved quickly downward into the position therein indicated, so that its upper surfaceis below the opening in the magazine 3, through which the cartridges are expelled by means of the well-known coilspring contained in said magazine. Immediately the forward excursion of the breechblock is begun by the forward movement of the action-bar the carrier assumes the position shown in Fig. 5 and remains in said position until the breech block is completely closed, when a further forward movement of the action-bar will be without effect on the breechblock by reason of the fact that the pawl B will move upwardly into the cut-away portion 6 of the casing 4 and remove itself from the influence of said action-bar. This final movement of the action-bar completely closes the carrier into the position shown in Fig. 2.

The device whereby the cartridges are held in the magazine until such time as it is necessary to allow one to slip out are two springs D and D. These springs are setin recesses in the opposite sides of the casing 4, their rear ends being fastened and their front ends free, said front ends normally standing above the recess in which the springs are set and which act as a stop to prevent the cartridges from,

being expelled from the magazine until they are depressed. The longitudinal edges of the springs D and D are slightly beveled, so that the carrier in its downward movement will depress the said springs, causing the same to retreat away from behind the cartridge, thereby permitting it to be expelled against the upwardly-extending portion C of the carrier, which is then directly behind it. When the breech-block approaches the position shown in Fig. 4, the carrier C, as heretofore stated, is quickly lowered and the cartridge will be expelled from the magazine and rest upon the upper surface of the carrier. The springs D and D will then return to their normal position and prevent the next cartridge in the magazine from being expelled until the proper time.

The breech-block D is provided with the two yielding extractors E and E". The extractor E is slightly less yielding than the extractor E and has a curve forwardly-extending portion E adapted to grip the rim of the cartridge. The extractor E consists of a springarm having an inwardly-projecting end adapted to pass in front of the rim of the cartridge when the breech-block is closed. When the breech-block is opened after firing, the extractors E and E will draw the empty cartridge rearwardly until the rim of the cartridge is engaged by the stud G, which lies in the path of the travel of the cartridges in the rearward excursion of the breech-block. The aforesaid engagement of the stud G with the rim of the cartridge will cause the cartridge to be violently released from the grip of the extractor E and thrown outwardly through the recess in the casing caused by the opening of the breech-block.

The cartridge-guide K, formed of a thin plate of sheet metal, is secured to the carrier C by the friction-pivot K, by which it is held in its projected or operating position during the oscillation of the carrier. The friction incident to the pivot K is suflicient to hold same in its projected position without other aid. The guide is lifted into that position by means of the stationary liftingpin K mounted in and projecting inwardly from the righthand wall of the casing 4:. The said pin coacts with the lower edge of the guide K at the rear. When in the action of the gun the carrier swings down preparatory to receiving a cartridge, the lower edge of the guide engages with the pin K whereby the frictional restraint placed upon the' guide by the pivot K is overcome, so that the guide is lifted into ITO its projected position, (shown in Fig. 4,) in which it is held by friction, the engagement .of the guide with the pin taking place some of preventing the lateral displacement of the cartridge from the carrier. However, after the cartridges have been partially introduced into the chamber of the gun-barrel the forward end of the breech-block B engages with the upper edge of the guide near the forward end thereof and forces the guide downward into its retired position against the restraint of the friction-pivot K.

The breech-block B carries the firing-pin F in a central longitudinal chamber. The breech-block also carries the firing-pin lock L, which is located in a vertical longitudinal slot L, formed in the lower face of the breechblock at a point to one side of the longitudinal center thereof, the lock being pivoted on the horizontal pin L which also serves as a pivot for the pawl B. The said pivot-pin L lies in a recess F in the firing-pin to prevent the firing-pin from falling out rearwardly from its chamber in the breech-block. The lock L consists of a heavy flat plate formed with the retracting-cam L and the liftingcam L and a straight locking edge L and works in a recess F formed by facing away a portion of one side of the cylindrical butt F of the firing-pin, which is shown in Fig. 13. The rear end of the recess F terminates in a wall comprising the square locking-shoulder F and a beveled retracting-shoulder F The lock L is forced into and maintained in its retired position by the carrier, which as it goes into its fully-closed position engages with the lower edge of the forward end of the lock at the point L, whereby the spring L is compressed and the lock swung on its pin L so as to depress its rear end and clear the square locking edge L thereof from the locking-shoulder F of the firing-pin, which is thus left free to leap forward when struck by the hammer 5. The moment, however, that the carrier begins its descent the spring L asserts itself, swings the firing-pin lock on its pivot, depressing its forward end and lifting its rear end into the position shown in Fig. 9. During the lifting of the rear end of the lock its retracting-cam L engages the retracting-shoulder F of the tiring-pin, causing the same to be positively retracted bythe spring L The firing-pin having been thus retracted, the spring L lifts the rear end of the lock still farther, so that the square looking edge L is brought into direct opposition with the square locking-shoulder of the firingpin, as shown in Fig. 9. If. for any reason,

however, the spring L should not act in swinging the lock for retraction and locking of the firing-pin, the lifting-cam L of the lock will in the rearward excursion of the breech-block B engage with the upper face of the rear end of the carrier and positively lift the rear end of the lock, so as to retract and lock the pin, whereby the retraction and locking of the pin is insured even though the spring L may fail of performing that function. After the breech-block has reached the limit of its forward excursion the carrier rises and engages with the forward end of the lock, overcoming the tension of the spring L and depressing its rear end for unlocking the firing -pin. It will be understood, of course, that the carrier does not act upon the lock until nothing remains to be done in fully closing the gun except the final movement of the carrier, the idea being to hold the firingpin locked until the gun is virtually closed.

The sliding sleeve A has pivoted thereon the spring-actuated catch A which is adapted to snap in front of the annular projection A on the magazine 3 and prevent the accidental rearward movement of the sleeve and action-bar during the operation of firing or at any undesired moment.

I claim- 1. In a magazine-firearm, the combination of a longitudinally reciprocating breechblock, a slidable action-bar provided with a recess, a pawl pivoted to the breech-block having an offset extending laterally from the body of the pawl adapted to engage the recess in the action-bar, corresponding rearwardly-inclined edges at the forward ends of the recess and the offset of the pawl whereby said action-bar and pawl are held in engagement during rearward movement of the action-bar, corresponding rearwardly-inclined edges at the rear end of the recess and the offset of the pawl, a casing inclosing the breech mechanism of the gun and provided with a longitudinal groove in which the action-bar slides whereby the action-bar and the offset of the pawl are held in engagement by the upper side of the groove in the casing against the tendency of the rear inclined edges of the recess and the offset of the pawl to separate the partson forward movement of the action-bar, and means for releasing the engagement between the offset of the pawl and the recess at the termination of the forward movement of the action-bar.

2. In a magazine-firearm, the combination of a longitudinally reciprocating breechblock, a slidable action-bar provided with a recess, a pawl pivoted to the breech-block having an offset extending laterally from the body of the pawl adapted to engage the recess in the actionebar, corresponding rearwardlyinclined edges at the forward ends of the recess and the offset of the pawl whereby said action-bar and pawl are held in engagement M "WW during rearward movement of the action-bar, corresponding rearwardly-inclined edges at the rear end of the recess and the offset of the pawl, a casing inclosing the breech mechanism of the gun and provided with a longitudinal groove in which the action-bar slides whereby the action-bar and the offset of the pawl are held in engagement by the upper side of the groove in the casing against the tendency of the rear inclined edges of the recess and the oflset of the pawl to separate the parts on forward movement of the action-bar,

and a cut-away portion in the casing at the forward end of the groove adapted to receive the offset of the pawl at the termination of the forward movement of the action bar whereby the engagement between the pawl and action-bar is released.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL KUTOHER. Witnesses:

J. H. WAGNER, JOHN DIEHL, Jr. 

